


And He Walked Away In Silence

by SimplyBlueiis



Series: The Taxi!Verse [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Driver Dean Winchester, Famous Castiel (Supernatural), Harry Chapin's Taxi, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29833767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyBlueiis/pseuds/SimplyBlueiis
Summary: After fifteen years, Cas and Dean meet in a taxi. Dreams have come true and dreams have shattered, and as usual with Dean and Cas, misunderstandings abound.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: The Taxi!Verse [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118282
Kudos: 16





	And He Walked Away In Silence

**Author's Note:**

> I reference two movies in which Castiel has starred - "Out Of The Deep" and "Ninety One Whiskey". If you haven't read these yet, I strongly recommend them both, as they're two of my favourite Destiel stories. I hope their authors don't mind the meta references here.

The air in the taxi was a bit stifling, matching the atmosphere. Cas’s suit was gently steaming, water droplets coalescing on the rear windows. Cas didn’t seem to notice, or to care. His gaze was focused out the window, as if one brief “Hello, Dean” meant that the social niceties had been observed and he could somehow become just another passenger in just another cab on just another Saturday night.

Dean’s fingers drummed the steering wheel, uncertain what to say but absolutely certain it was his turn to speak up. With an inner sigh, he lobbed one over the net and hoped for the best.

“I saw [_Out Of The Deep_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/548878/chapters/977676) a while ago. You were fantastic. I wasn’t so sure about your character being telepathic for part of the movie, but it really made the audience pay attention. Sammy still isn’t eating fish.” Dean offered a half smile as he glanced back at his passenger.

Cas shifted slightly, vinyl seat squeaking beneath him, but didn’t meet Dean’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Dean blew out a breath and tried again. Maybe a question would elicit a response?

“I read that you were over in Europe, soaking up some history for your next movie. I read you do that a lot – try to get as much information about your roles as you can. I hope that your method acting technique doesn’t mean you’re actually going to go to war?” He tried another smile in the rearview, well aware that he sounded like a TV interviewer and mentally cringing.

Cas shifted again, his eyes refusing to meet Dean’s in the mirror. “It would be a little hard to partake in a war that’s been over for seventy five years, Dean. Though I suppose I should be flattered that you’re so well-informed on my upcoming projects. For the record, I haven’t signed on to [_Ninety One Whiskey_](https://archiveofourown.org/series/721512%20%20), yet. I think the role is too young for me. Please don’t tell the tabloids.”

Suitably chastened, Dean’s face fell. _I guess that’s that_ , he thought. If he’d felt the air was stifling six blocks ago, it had nothing on the mood in the taxi now.

A few moments passed in silence, and then Cas sighed. “I apologize, Dean. I appreciate you taking an interest in my career. You seem very well-informed about my projects, even those that haven’t come to fruition yet. It’s rude of me to treat you in a condescending manner. I’ve had a rough night but that’s no excuse for taking it out on you. If people like you didn’t take an interest in what I do, I wouldn’t have a career that I love.”

Dean blinked. _“People like you”. Right._ If he hadn’t felt it before, Cas had just ensured that the chasm between them stayed as wide as the Grand Canyon.

“No harm, no foul, Cas. We’re practically strangers.” Dean didn’t notice Cas stiffening slightly in the backseat as he continued. “You were gonna be an actor, and I was gonna learn to fly. You took off to find the footlights. Looks like you found ‘em.”

Cas cocked his head to the side, watching Dean’s face in the mirror. “And you, Dean? Did you learn to fly?”

For a brief moment, both of them pictured a teenage Dean on an old wooden stage on a bright August morning, interpreting the words that Cas spoke and giving them life, meaning, _movement_.

Dean laughed shortly, but it was an ugly, bitter thing. “No. No, Cas, I never learned to fly.”

Cas’s face pulled into a puzzled frown, so reminiscent of his teenage self that Dean’s chest ached fiercely for what might have been. “Dean…”

“Forget it, Cas. It was a long time ago.”

It turned out that there wasn’t much more for them to talk about, once Dean slammed the door shut on their brief, shared past. Whatever they’d had once clearly hadn’t survived fifteen years of silence. Dean turned the cab into the driveway, past the gate and the fine-trimmed lawn.

Dean threw the taxi in park and sighed, waiting for Cas to leave. It had been a long night, and all he wanted now was a shot of whiskey and his memory foam mattress.

Cas hovered uncertainly in the backseat. “The fare…” he started.

“Don’t worry about it. I think I owe you one.”

Gamely, Cas tried again. “We must get together…”

“Sure, that would be great,” Dean agreed flatly.

“Are you local?” Cas persisted, but at least, _thank God_ , he was opening the door.

“Sure, yeah. Sam and I are in Palo Alto. You should come on over to The Mark some night. It's a bar where we hang out sometimes." He clarified.

Dean knew it would never be arranged. Big-time movie stars didn’t hang out with cab drivers. This wasn’t some gay version of Pretty Woman.

Cas’s face smoothed with relief. “Yes, I’ll do that.” He looked down for a moment, fiddled with his hands, and then slid out of the cab. He leaned his head down, meeting Dean’s eyes. Dean couldn’t look away.

“Thank you for the ride, Dean. I’ve left the fare in the backseat. I’m only telling you in case you pick up another fare tonight. I’ll look forward to seeing you at The Mark, if our schedules align in the near future.” With a small, polite smile, he walked away in silence.

Another man might have been angry. Another man might have been hurt at the polite brush-off, the telltale sign that Cas’s dreams had come true and that Dean’s had not. But another man never would have let Cas go in the first place. Dean reached over the seat and stuffed the damp bills in his shirt.

**Author's Note:**

> This is based loosely on Harry Chapin's Taxi. The verses that are relevant this time around are: 
> 
> You see she was gonna be an actress  
> And I was gonna learn to fly  
> She took off to find the footlights  
> And I took off to find the sky
> 
> There was not much more for us to talk about  
> Whatever we had once was gone  
> So I turned my cab into the driveway  
> Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns  
> And she said we must get together  
> But I knew it'd never be arranged  
> And she handed me twenty dollars for a two fifty fare  
> She said, "Harry, keep the change."
> 
> Well another man might have been angry  
> And another man might have been hurt  
> But another man never would have let her go  
> I stashed the bill in my shirt
> 
> And she walked away in silence....


End file.
